Bottled water dispensers are routinely used in homes and businesses as a source of clean and refreshing drinking water. Such dispensers may exhibit various forms, with some dispensers being configured to dispense both chilled and hot water. Unfortunately, the portions of such dispensers that hold and dispense chilled water create a suitable environment for bacterial growth and contamination. Several methods have evolved over the years to combat bacterial growth in bottled water dispensers, which range from manual cleanings to the use of UV lamps and ozone. Unfortunately, such methods suffer from a number of drawbacks, such as being inefficient, labor intensive, expensive to implement, or they can present their own health risks.
In view of the foregoing, there is a continuing need for new and improved bottled water dispensers that provide an effective means for sanitizing the interior portions of the dispensers, and particularly those areas and surfaces that are most prone to bacterial growth and contamination. As the following will demonstrate, such needs and demands in the marketplace (along with others) are provided by the inventions described herein.